Amusement apparatus.



J. E. MQREYNOLDS.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED 511N314, 1911.

PatentedJune 25, 1912.

3 SHEETS-BHEET 1.

I c/o/M COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH 420-. WASHINGTON, n. C.

J. E. MGREYNOLDS.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION IILED JUNE 14, 1911.

1,030,316. Patented June 25, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

an sr'r JOHN E. MQREYNOLDS, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1912.

Application filed June 14, 1911. Serial No. 633,036.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, JOHN E. MoREYNoLDs, citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Amusement Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements inamusement appara tus, and has particular application to that type ofapparatus wherein a number of fig ures representing horses or otheranimals, or, if desired, objects in the nature of cars, chariots or thelike, are driven around a mechanical race-course, thereby affordingamusement, entertainment and excitement to those engaged in using theapparatus.

In carrying out my invention it is my purpose to provide an amusementapparatus of the character described wherein each of the figures, cars,or other objects may be driven at a predetermined speed at the will ofthe operator or attendant, so that when the apparatus is in operation hehas complete control of the speed of the figures, thereby enabling himto make the race as close and exciting as he may desire.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide a novel means ofconnecting the figures or objects to the traveling or driving cable sothat all curves in the track may be taken with ease, smoothness andsafety.

Another purpose of my invention is to provide a novel arrangement of thevarious shafts for actuating the drive wheel of the traveling cables.

With the above recited objects and others of a similar nature in View,my invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangementof parts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appendedclaims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatusembodying my invention, the cables and guide sheaves therefor beingshown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a side view of the carriage travelingalong the trackway. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same, the track beingshown in section. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the arrangement of thepower transmitting mechanism including the drive shafts, cone pulleys,gearing and cable driving wheels. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing theflexible connection of the carriage and cable. Fig. 6 isa top plan viewof the cone pulleys. Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of the mechanismfor shifting the belt to vary the speed of the cone pulleys.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing in detail, the letter Aindicates as an en- 'tlrety the platform or frame of the race is thecarriage C comprising a frame formed of the end members 66 and thehorizontal connecting bar 7. The members 6 project beyond the end of thebar 7 and carry the grooved wheels 8, arranged in pairs so that whileone pair rides on the top edge of the track the other bears against theunder edge thereof. Extending upwardly from the bar 7 is a suitablesupport 9 for an object or figure such as an animal or car (not shown).Secured to one side of the bar 7 at any suitable point is a plate 10having a socket 11 in whichis secured one end of the relatively shortflexible cable 12, the opposite end of said cable being secured in thesocket 18 of the link 14 pivotally connected to the sleeve 15 carried byone of the drive cables. By reference to the drawings it will be seenthat there is a drive cable 16 for each track, in the present instancethree in number, each endless cable leading over guide sheaves 17suitably arranged at the platform and grooved in such manner that thesleeves 15 of the carriage cable connections will ride easily andsmoothly over and past the sheaves. It will, of course, be understoodthat there is a cable connection and sleeve for each carriage. In orderto drive the cables shown in Fig. 1, I employ the grooved drive wheels18, 19, and 20, engaging wit-h the outer intermediate and inner cablesrespectively. The drive wheel 20 is carried by the shaft 21 having thebevel gear 22 meshing with the bevel gear 23 at the end of the solidshaft 24. Similarly the wheel 19 is driven through shaft 25, and bevelgears 26 and 27 the latter on the end of the tubular shaft 28 throughwhich passes the solid shaft 24. The outer wheel 18 is in turn driventhrough shaft 29 carrying bevel gear 30 meshing with bevel gear 31 inthe end of the tubular shaft 32 which envelops the tubular shaft 28 andthe solid shaft 24.

The ends of the shaft 24 extend beyond the ends of the shaft 28 andsimilarly the latter is longer than the outer tubular shaft 32. Theseshafts 24, 28 and 32 are provided with cone pulleys 33, 34 and 35,respectively arranged in the parallelism with the oppositely disposedcone pulleys 36, 37 and 38 on the power shaft 39, receiving power from asuitable source. These sets of pulleys 33, 36, 34, 37, and 35, 38, areconnected in driving engagement by the bolts 40, 41 and 42,

which may be shifted by any suitable belt shifting means, to vary thespeed ofrevolution of the drive shafts of the cables 16 and consequentlyvarying the speed at which the figures or objects connected to thecables travel.

In Figs. 7 and. 8,1 have shown one arrangement for varying the speed ofdrive of the pulleys. In said figures, the numeral 43 indicates anoperating lever terminating in a link 44 engaging with the belt shiftingrod 45 carrying the pins 46 and 47. The numeral 48 indicates the drivebelt engaging the two oppositely disposed pulleys 49 and 50,which, aswill be noted from Fig. 7 are of the ordinary cone form so that as thebelt is shifted through the medium of the rod 43, the driving speed ofthe pulleys and consequently the drive shaft will'be varied to conformto the requirements of the apparatus.

From the abovedescription taken inconnection with the accompanyingdrawings, the construction and operation of my improved amusementapparatus will be readily apparent. .The figures or cars which aresupported on the standards 9 are thus car ried by the carriageswhichtravel on the trac'kways and are-in connection with the endlesstraveling cables through the short 7 flexible cables 12. Motion isimparted to the power shaft 39 and thence through the cone pulleys tothe telescoping shafts 24, 28 and 32 through which such motion istransmitted through the, respective bevel gears and short stud shafts'tothe drive wheels 18, 19 and 20 and these being in engagement with theendless cables, drive the latter. lVhen it is desired to change thespeed of travel of one of the cables it is only necesbe seen that I haveprovided a compact, du-

rable and entertaining form of amusement device, and one wherein theobjects or figures carrying the passengers will travel easily, smoothlyand safely over the trackway, the speed of travel of any of said objectsor figures being under the control and regulation of the operator orattendant.

l/Vhile I have herein shown'and described one embodiment of my inventionby way of illustration, I wish it to be understood that I do not limitmyself to all the precise details of construction herein set forth byway of illustration, as modification and variation may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of theclaims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. An amusement apparatus comprising a platform, a trackway thereon, anendless cable traveling adjacent to said trackway, guide sheaves forsaid cable, a drive wheel engaging with the cable, a shaft connected tosaid wheel, a second shaft, gearing be tween the first-named shaft andthe second shaft, means for varying the speed of the revolution of theshaft, 'a carriage traveling on the trackway, and connections betweensaid carriage and cable.

2. An amusement apparatus comprisinga platform, a plurality of trackwaysarranged thereon and located one within the other, a traveling cable foreach of said trackways, guide sheaves for the cables, carriagestraveling on said trackways, and flexible connections with the carriagesand the cables, each connection comprising a socket member secured tothe carriage and sleeve of the'cable and a short cable between the JOHNE. MGREYNOLDS.

Witnesses:

J. STERLING WHEELER, HARRY RATHGEB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I); G.

